For the first time in my life I am feeling old. Recently, I started noticing my feet become swollen after sitting and coding for a while. I’m 36. I’ve been a rock climber for years and I can hop on my bike and ride 20 miles no big deal…so its not like I’m horribly out of shape. I have been trying to take breaks and put my feet up and even move my toes…anything I can think of…I bought compression socks today.

I was wondering if anyone else has these issues. I have a good chair and I don’t feel scrunched up. I just worry that I might be doing permanent damage. And I’ve only been coding for 40 days. But I will admit I am hooked, and sometimes I will do long sessions…like ten hours…with breaks of course. I’m thinking about going to the doctor but any practical advice is appreciated thanks.

Move while you code. I’m on my bed, coffee shop, standing at the kitchen counter(thinking of getting a standing table/building a simple desktop riser), at the park, in my car etc. Don’t spend more the 45 mins in one position. Plus I’m a lazy chick but I find myself hitting the gym to compensate/plan for this career. The same goes for hand exercises , rest and hand supports.

I look forward to having the money to splurge on a standing desk. The electronic kind that you set multiple heights with so you can sit or stand at it (not those plastic crap ones that go on top of and take up most of the desk which really aren’t that much cheaper than the electric kind). It’s the only thing I miss about the job I left earlier this year.

If you look on Amazon, they have all kinds of foot rests now, including ones that you can massage your feet with.

I ruptured a disc in August 2013 and sitting is the one thing that I could not do for quite a while. The best thing I have found, among the many things that I have looked into and tried, is the Gokhale Method. She is essentially saying that sitting is not the problem…it is how you are sitting and that can be changed. Her book “8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back” is awesome! http://gokhalemethod.com/